Nuggets coach Michael Malone watches the action against the Charlotte Hornets during a game at the Pepsi Center on Sunday, Jan. 10, 2016. (AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post)

If Friday night’s game at Sacramento means more to Nuggets coach Michael Malone than any other, he won the award for Best Poker Face in practices this week. He simply did not let it show.

This is the franchise that fired him less than two years into his tenure there. With the team playing well. With things looking up, a culture of toughness and defense being implemented. With their sometimes-combustible star, DeMarcus Cousins, as happy as he’s been with any coach.

None of that mattered.

On Dec. 14, 2014, the Kings pulled the plug on Malone’s first foray into being a head coach. This is his first meeting against them since then. Read more…

Nuggets happenings on during today's NBA trade deadline day. Will be updated as pertinent news warrants throughout the day.

9:30 a.m. The main conversations still concern J.J. Hickson. There is some question as to whether the Nuggets would waive him if they cannot trade him by the 1 p.m. deadline. However, outside of a specific request from Hickson or his agent to be jettisoned, it wouldn't make a ton of sense for the Nuggets to buy him out. And recently, Hickson told me he'd rather stay, though that certainly could have changed. Still, he's in the last year of his contract (paying him nearly $6 million this season), it's not saving the Nuggets significant money to buy him out, the team is not in financial trouble, he's not a malcontent, and he's been productive when given playing time. And with a team that has suffered as many injuries as the Nuggets have throughout the roster, having some extra insurance in Hickson wouldn't be a bad thing if no deals are able to be made.

10:13 a.m. Reports of teams interest in Randy Foye, which has been the case since the start of the season, persist. Foye is on fire from 3-point range in February, shooting 47.4 percent from the arc. Foye is in the last year of his current contract, though, so potentially losing him in free agency when they could get at least a little something now might not be desirable.

11:20 a.m.The Nuggets trade guard Randy Foye to Oklahoma City in exchange for guard D.J. Augustin, forward Steve Novak and two second-round picks. There is speculation from other reports as to whether the Nuggets will keep Novak or attempt to move him on.

2:40 p.m. ESPN reports the Nuggets have reached a buyout agreement with Novak, freeing him to sign with whatever team he likes.

Follow Chris Dempsey on Twitter @dempseypost or email him at cdempsey@denverpost.com

Nuggets head coach Michael Malone, right, talks with Jameer Nelson during a break in the Nuggets game against Indiana Pacers on Jan. 30. (AP Photo/Doug McSchooler)

Jameer Nelson is running out of options.

A severely damaged left wrist is winding the veteran Nuggets point guard toward the one path he doesn’t want to take: Surgery.

“I (recently) saw my doctor in Philadelphia, which we all thought was best,” Nelson said. “And I got another MRI and it showed some stuff.”

Nelson wouldn’t elaborate what all that “stuff” was, but rest assured it’s not good. He’s been shelved for 12 of the last 14 games with a badly sprained left wrist, and has missed the last six straight after coming back and playing through the pain for consecutive games on Jan. 28 and Jan. 30. Read more…

Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari rubs the head of Nikola Jokic after he walks off the court for a timeout during the team’s 112-93 over Toronto on Feb. 1. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)

The Nuggets are back in action on Friday, when coach Michael Malone revisits his old stomping grounds — Sacramento — for the first and only time this season since he was fired there a season ago. They enter that game playing some of their best basketball of the season having on four of their last six games and 10 of their last 19.

Individually, there is a lot going on. Here are notes on every Nuggets player coming out of the All-Star break. In alphabetical order.

Darrell Arthur: The forward missed the last five games going into the break due to a sore left quad, but the team hopes he is able to return to action on Friday after the extended break. Nagging injuries chipped away at what was a solid start to his season as he ended up either playing through pain consistently or not playing at all. Arthur is averaging 7.0 points and 4.0 rebounds in 46 games this season. Known as a pick-and-pop power forward, Arthur has added more rolls to the basket and sprinkled in some post-ups as well.

Will Barton: One of the biggest surprises in the NBA this season, Barton has exceeded the team’s expectations in nearly every area and has already played more minutes this season (1,540) than the previous two seasons combined (1,370). He’s second on the team in scoring at 15.5 points per game, and is one of the Nuggets’ best shooters with averages of 45.5 percent from the field, 38.0 percent from 3-point range and 85.5 percent from the free throw line. He’s sizzling in February, shooting 53.5 percent and is a +11.8 in the month. Barton’s play has earned him mention for both the Sixth Man and Most Improved awards. Teams have already approached the Nuggets in trades for him, but those were rebuffed. Read more…

Nikola Jokic shoots a layup during an NBA game on Dec. 22, 2015, at the Pepsi Center against the Los Angeles Lakers. (Brent Lewis, The Denver Post)

Seven weeks before summer league began last summer in Las Vegas, Nikola Jokic was experiencing a very familiar emotion: The nervousness of desperately wanting to prove he was worth it.

He was still in Serbia, but would soon be on his way to the United States. The Nuggets were in the final stages of negotiating and signing his contract for his first season.

Jokic just wanted to perform.

“I wanted to give my best in summer league,” he told The Denver Post. “That was my opportunity for coach to see me, for everyone to see me, and I tried to work hard to be prepared to give 100 percent.”

He’d come over with buzz mostly created by the front office that drafted him. At 6-foot-10 Jokic was a rare package of a player that height who could handle the ball, could pass and make good decisions doing it, and score from the block to the 3-point line. He knocked down two 3-pointers in summer league.

He was solid in five games. But there was still so much that was hard to see.

Will Barton could only make out the outline of a player with promise. Read more…

Former CU star Chauncey Billups addresses the media before the Nuggets at Pistons game on Wednesday night. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

The Nets are in an on-going search for a general manager to replace to Billy King, who was reassigned within the organization, and Nuggets assistant general manager Arturas Karnisovas continues to be a prominent candidate for the opening.

Karnisovas spoke with the Nets earlier this week while the Nuggets were in New York for three days to face the Knicks and then the Nets. He is as hot a candidate as there is, and there a pretty good chance the Nets offer him the job.

If they do, and he accepts, could Chauncey Billups be an option for the Nuggets to get into their front office? He could. It would be up to the Nuggets to make the call. Read more…

Nuggets guard Emmanuel Mudiay drives for a shot during the first meeting between the two teams this season. (Associated Press file)

Denver Nuggets rookie Emmanuel Moodiay was selected to replace Houston Rockets point guard Patrick Beverly in the Taco Bell Skills Challenge. Mudiay was selected by the Nuggets with the seventh overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. Beverly who won the contest in 2015 will not be able to defend hit title during NBA All-Star weekend.

The skills challenge is part of the Saturday night festivities and will be televised by TNT on Feb. 13 at 5:30 MST. The challenge is a three-round, obstacle course event that tests the players dribbling, passing, agility and three-point-shooting skills.

Former NBA star Chauncey Billups took a look back at his playing career, writing a “Letter to My Younger Self” Wednesday on The Players’ Tribune.

In his piece, he reflected on being selected with the third overall pick in the NBA draft, his championship run in Detroit and all the lessons he learned in between.

He talked about being traded to his hometown of Denver in 1999, his third team in his first two seasons in the league.

On coming home to Denver:

Playing at home as a 23-year-old professional is going to be less blessing and more curse. (There’s perception, again, for you.) It’s as simple as this: you’re just not going to be ready for Denver to be Your City. You’re going to think you’re ready — and they are too — but, trust me, you won’t be. You’re still going to be so young. You’re still going to be hanging out with your boys, doing your old thing. There are going to be those … hometown distractions. And those distractions will add up.

And you have to understand, Chaunce: It’s not just that you made it. It’s that your whole neighborhood is going to feel like they made it. All of Park Hill is going to feel like they made it. And don’t get me wrong — that’s special. But at the wrong age, it can also be tough. It can be a lot to handle. And you’re going to be at that wrong age. You’re not going to be mature enough yet, or developed enough yet, to take on that mix of environments, those responsibilities, that role.

BROOKLYN — Nuggets coach Michael Malone is hoping to get forward/center Joffrey Lauvergne more playing time, to the point where he’s ready to take additional steps to make it a priority.

In some respects, it’s already happening.

In the three games leading into Monday night’s contest at Brooklyn, Lauvergne averaged roughly 20 minutes per game, with a high of 28 minutes in the Nuggets’ win over New York on Sunday afternoon. Lauvergne responded in that game by putting up a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds. Read more…

Nuggets head coach Michael Malone was happy with his players’ focus during Monday morning shooaround in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

NEW YORK — It was a mild surprise when Nuggets coach Michael Malone called for a Monday morning shootaround in advance of his team’s game against Brooklyn, something almost never done when a team is on the second day of a back-to-back.

“We needed to come in,” Malone said. “We have to get our minds ready for tonight.”

There was method to Malone’s madness.

First, the Nuggets played an afternoon game, eastern time, on Sunday against the Knicks. That gave them an entire evening to rest, and with no travel involved (not even a hotel change) there was plenty of time to recover between the game and Monday’s less-taxing shootaround. Read more…

NEW YORK — The Nuggets New York trip comes at a good time for assistant general manager Arturas Karnisovas. He’s expected to interview with the Brooklyn Nets for their vacant general manger job while here.

Then, he’ll get an up-close look at the Nets when the Nuggets face them on Monday night.

Karnisovas has been one of the hottest names in the circles of up-and-coming executives ready to take the next step to general manger. He’s been with the Nuggets since 2013, arriving with Nuggets general manager Tim Connelly.

Karnisovas, 44, joined the Nuggets after five years with the Houston Rockets, where he most recently was the director of scouting. He started with the Rockets as Director of Global scouting in 2008 after spending more than four years working in basketball operations at the NBA’s league office. Read more…

The score, in the fourth quarter of the Nuggets game on Friday night against the Bulls, was frequently wrong. Nuggets coach Michael Malone noticed and tried to help, but didn’t want his players caught up in worrying about it.

“I don’t know what was going on at the scorer’s table, but you’ve just got to concentrate on the task at hand,” Malone said. “For me it’s tough because I want to know is it a one possession game or a two possession game, what the right score strategy-wise. But for our players, don’t worry about that. Worry about playing and making plays on the floor.”

This was crew chief Scott Foster’s explanation of what happened during many minutes of confusion about what the score was during the fourth quarter. Read more…

Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas sprints for a touchdown against the San Diego Chargers this season. (Photo by Eric Lutzens/The Denver Post)

Jimmy Butler was just minutes from jumping on FaceTime to chat with one of his very best friends — Broncos star receiver Demaryius Thomas, just two days before the Super Bowl. But the Bulls star stopped prior to the video call to talk about him following Friday’s shootaround.

“We’ve been talking like every day,” Butler said. “It’s a big game, but I just try to remind him to just have fun, you’re here for a reason. God put you here for a reason, you’re one of the best players at your position. Just go out there and do what you do.” Read more…

Denver Nuggets forward Will Barton (5) holds his head after getting called for goaltending during the fourth quarter at the Pepsi Center on January 21, 2016 in Denver, Colorado. The Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Denver Nuggets 102-101. (Photo by Brent Lewis, The Denver Post)

Denver Nuggets guard Will Barton was invited to participate in the NBA’s slam dunk contest taking place Feb. 13 as part of NBA All-Star weekend in Toronto, the team announced Thursday.

Kenneth Faried of the Denver Nuggets dunks the ball in the second round during the Sprite Slam Dunk Contest part of 2013 NBA All-Star Weekend at the Toyota Center on Feb. 16, 2013 in Houston. (Ronald Martinez, Getty Images)

The Nuggets will be all over All-Star Weekend in Toronto.

Will Barton will be named to the Slam Dunk competition soon, and with his inclusion in the weekend the Nuggets will have three players actively participating in All-Star events. He joins rookies Emmanuel Mudiay and Nikola Jokic who were selected to play in the Rising Stars Challenge.

This is the most Nuggets in All-Star Weekend events since 2005. Read more…

SALT LAKE CITY — The simplest way to describe the Nuggets’ series against Utah this season can be done in one sentence.

It’s been a struggle.

Almost no team puts the Nuggets’ feet in quicksand quite like the Jazz. Slowing down the pace is how Utah rolls in general, but the Nuggets have yet to solve the pace game in two matchups with the Jazz this season. Utah has held the Nuggets to 86 points on 39 percent shooting. As a result the Nuggets are 0-2 so far in the series.

But there is hope, says Nuggets coach Michael Malone. It lies in getting to 100 points.

“They are 1-18 when their opponent scores over 100 points,” Malone said. “So our goal is to try to find a way to create pace at all times.”

Nuggets guard Will Barton goes up for a dunk during the Nuggets game at Indiana on Saturday. (AP Photo/Doug McSchooler)

The question took Will Barton by surprise mostly because it was nowhere near his radar.

Would he want to be in the NBA’s Slam Dunk contest?

The short answer is yes.

“I mean, if they asked me, I would do it,” Barton said. “It’s just how I feel about it. But I don’t have too many feelings about it.”

Barton has thrown down some of the nastiest dunks of the NBA season, including this one against the Houston Rockets on Nov. 13 at the Pepsi Center.

Minnesota’s Zach LaVine won last year’s dunk contest, and there are other worthy candidates like Orlando’s Aaron Gordon. Barton said he has done dunk contests in his basketball past — and won them — and wouldn’t mind bringing that to the NBA’s All-Star Saturday night.

But he’s not pining over it or thinking about it much.

“It’s a great atmosphere,” he said. “If they ask me, fine. If they don’t, that’s fine, too.”

Follow Chris Dempsey on Twitter @dempseypost or email him at cdempsey@denverpost.com

Toronto Raptors’ Kyle Lowry is one of the toughest covers in the NBA. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

The Nuggets want to beat the NBA’s hottest team, the Toronto Raptors, on Monday night. Their ability to defeat that team, which has won 11 straight games, rests almost completely on their ability to slow down the Raptors’ starting backcourt: Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan.

The duo is the NBA’s second-highest scoring starting backcourt at a combined 44.2 points per game. Only Golden State’s Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson score more. Both Lowry and DeRozan are going to the All-Star game.

“The interesting stat with the (Raptors) is they’re 29th in percentage of field goals that are assisted,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “They are fourth in the league in ISOs. What does that mean? They’re a one-on-one team. Kyle Lowry is looking to score, DeMar DeRozan is looking to score. So we have to make sure we give them the attention they deserve and have great discipline within doing so.” Read more…

Nuggets guard Emmanuel Mudiay drives for a shot during the first meeting between the two teams this season. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

INDIANAPOLIS — A solid end to this road trip depends on shoring up some areas the Nuggets let get away from them even during a win at Washington on Thursday.

Things like fast break points, rebounds — particularly on the offensive glass, and turnovers to an extent. The Nuggets allowed a season-high 37 fast break points to the Wizards, 24 more than they allow on average. They were outrebounded in the game, which means that was just the second time all season the Nuggets won when being outrebounded.

And the Nuggets allowed 19 second chance points, seven more than normal. Read more…

Chris Dempsey arrived at The Denver Post in Dec. 2003 after seven years at the Boulder Daily Camera, where he primarily covered the University of Colorado football and men's basketball teams. A University of Colorado-Boulder alumnus, Dempsey covers the Nuggets and also chips in on college sports.